


While you were sleeping

by SerialKillerQueen



Category: The Haunting of Hill House (TV 2018)
Genre: (Real or not you decide), Don't copy to another site, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Ghosts, Hurt/Comfort, Nell is a good sibling, Sleep Paralysis, Steve is not a bad person
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-02
Updated: 2019-11-02
Packaged: 2021-01-20 15:11:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21283748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SerialKillerQueen/pseuds/SerialKillerQueen
Summary: Even though she’s gone Nell looks after her family.
Relationships: Eleanor "Nell" Crain & Steven Crain, Leigh Crain/Steven Crain
Comments: 6
Kudos: 82





	While you were sleeping

He wakes and knows immediately something is _wrong._

He can’t move, he can’t move and he can’t even shut his eyes and a visceral panic overtakes him.

There are shapes, figures, lurking in the room, a tall man with a bowler hat, a burned husk, perhaps his mother is there.

The house is supposed to leave them alone and he wishes Leigh wasn’t such a heavy sleeper.

“Steve, you have to breathe.”

It’s Nell, standing beside him, and for a moment she’s grey and her neck is _twisted_ but then she’s just Nell.

Her eyes are gentle and her voice is gentle, prepared, she knows what’s happening. 

“Breathe, try to take slow steady breaths.” 

She saved them, in the house, she woke them up. 

And she’s _Nellie_ and he listens, he didn’t listen before, but he’ll listen now. 

She smiles at him, that sunshine smile she always had. 

“Try to clench your fist… good, keep breathing.” 

And then suddenly it’s like his body wakes up. He jolts into a sitting position and they’re all gone except for his sister. 

She’s still smiling and before he can thank her she leans in and kisses his cheek (her lips are cold but soft). 

And Leigh stirs, asks what’s wrong, he turns to her, rests his hand on her arm. 

When he looks back Nell is gone. 

**Author's Note:**

> So I got in bed at a reasonable time (for once) last night and then woke up at 5 am and couldn't go back to sleep and wrote this on my phone. I really wanted to touch on sleep paralysis (since it's horrifying to me) and I'm just a sucker for Nell and a sucker for Steve, and a sucker for siblings being protective. I hope you enjoy!


End file.
